


A Normal Life

by ncsupnatfan



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Brotherly Love, Family, Family Drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:15:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27697489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ncsupnatfan/pseuds/ncsupnatfan
Summary: Be careful what you wish for....Sam should have heeded this warning and has to find his way home back to his family.
Comments: 13
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Ever wonder when and why Dean and Sam started using _Jerk_ and _Bitch_ for the first time? This thought came to mind and I wrote this short story. In this AU I try to explore this idea. Sam is 13 and Dean is 17. I hope you enjoy the read. Comments would be great and make my day. NC**

* * *

The motel was rundown, old, and in much need of repair. The brothers had been cooped up in the small room for four days because their father was late getting back from a hunt and the constant rain during this time kept them inside. They were climbing the walls and snapping at each other over nothing. The air conditioning barely worked, only blowing out warm air and the portable fan wasn’t much help either. They were lucky to have hot water long enough to take a shower and had to wait at least an hour between showers. The small fridge made loud, banging noises half the time like it was on its last legs. The dishes they had to use were chipped and never looked clean no matter how hard they were scrubbed. 

“Please Dean, will you ask Dad?” a thirteen year old Sam begged his older brother, as Dean came out of the bathroom.

“Sammy, you know Dad will want to move on as soon as he gets back. That’s what we always do,” Dean told him. “He’ll find another hunt in another town.”

“But I only have three more weeks of school left and I’ll have this year finished. By the time we move somewhere else, it’ll be too late to get me into school, and I won’t be able to advance. Dad could find a place for a month and use it as home base, couldn’t he? He’ll listen to you before me. Please, just ask, for me.” Sam was using his best begging voice and puppy dog eyes that he could on Dean.

“Why do you like school so much Sammy? It’s a waste of time,” Dean questioned. “Dad and me can teach you all you need to know about hunting and surviving.”

“Maybe I don’t want to keep hunting,” Sam said quietly as he looked down at the floor and kicked at the thin carpet. “I like school and I do learn a lot.”

“You need to get that out of your head Sammy, we’re in the family business, hunting monsters, and saving people. You need to fall in line and do as you’re told,” Dean chastised him in an irritated voice. 

“No, I don’t. I have a mind of my own Dean. I not a good little soldier like you who follows every order Dad barks. I want more out of life than moving around from town to town, staying in shitty motel rooms that stink and have disgusting stains. I want to have a normal life.”

Dean looked at him for a moment and started laughing at him. 

Sam’s face reddened as his anger spiked. He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door, needing to get some fresh air. He couldn’t stay in the room any longer with his brother and needed to cool off.

“You know, sometimes you can be a real…” Sam started trying to find a word to use. “Jerk Dean,” Sam spat angerly at him as he unlocked the door to head outside. “Yeah, that’s it, you’re a **jerk**!”

“It’s better than being a whiny little bitch,” Dean yelled at him. “Where are you going, _bitch_?”

“Where does it look like?” Sam yelled back. “Out, **jerk**!”

“You need to get back in here now! I’m tired of these shitty ass moods of yours and you know what Dad told us,” Dean demanded, but it fell on death ears as Sam didn’t slow down.

“Bite me.” Sam slammed the door and walked aimlessly out into the parking lot and away from his stupid, jerk of a brother. He turned up the collar of his jacket and zipped it because there was still a light rain falling making the world seem dreary and washed out. He continued to walk down the street away from the motel as his anger simmered inside of him. He wasn’t asking for much, just three weeks so he could get through the school year and not have to repeat the grade. 

The rain began to fall harder, and Sam was getting soaked. Water dripped from the ends of his too long hair and he had to keep wiping his face in order to see. It was late afternoon but looked more like early evening with the low hanging clouds and the sheets of rain coming down. 

Sam saw lights ahead of him and ran for the large wooden double doors of a church. He stepped under the shelter of the front porch and shook his head from side to side to rid it of the water. He shook his arms to get the water off his jacket before stepping into the dimly lit foyer. 

He saw a sign for the restrooms and headed that way, hoping to dry off a bit. He used the bathroom and washed his hands, grabbing paper towels to dry them. He pulled more towels out to wipe over his head and face before leaving the restroom.

Very slowly, Sam opened the double doors that led into the sanctuary and walked slowly into the large, cavernous room. He let his eyes wander slowly around it taking in the décor. The windows were stained glass and depicted scenes from the Bible. A wooden cross hung behind the altar and had a soft spotlight shining on it. There were carpeted kneeling steps at the front for those who wanted to come down to be saved. Sam had never been exposed to religion growing up and only knew what he read or saw on television. He remembered doing a little research for a case where he had to read some religious books from the library.

Not even realizing it, Sam walked down the main aisle looking at the pews that had cushioned seating and ran his hand over the richly, colored wood of the pews. Sam stopped a couple of pews back from the altar and took a seat, laying his coat over it to dry. 

The heavy silence pressed in on him as he gazed at the cross in wonder and curiosity as a sense of peace settled over him. He was tired, cold, and disappointed that he couldn’t get Dean to see things his way. Sam had hoped that Dean would be on his side like he usually was, and he could convince their father to stay here at least a few more weeks. He even hoped his Dad might have gotten hurt a little, and would need to take some down time to heal and then felt guilty about it. He let out a long sigh before whispering to himself.

“I just want to have a normal life like other kids,” Sam spoke softly. “Is that too much to ask for? Why does it have to be my family that has to fight the monsters? Why can’t someone else do it?” Sam closed his eyes as tears filled them and leaked down his cheeks. He leaned his head back and tried to picture a life where they were not hunters and lived in a house in a town where he could go to school and not have to worry about bouncing around from school to school, never staying long enough to even make a friend. 

Sam always felt like he was different from the other kids in school. He never seemed to fit in and hated being the new kid all the time because that brought out the bullies to taunt and tease him. Sam had been trained to take care of himself, but he tried not to use it if he could avoid it. It only seemed to make things worse if he fought back, especially if there was more than one bully. They always made sure no teacher saw them and Sam wasn’t going to be a tattle tail, and rat them out. He always tried to stay away from the bullies, especially at lunchtime or he wouldn’t get anything to eat because they’d take it from him. 

It wasn’t as bad when Dean was in school with him, since he would wait until school was out and put a hurting on the bullies, daring them to ever lay a hand on his little brother again. When Dean dropped out at sixteen, to hunt with their Dad full time, he had no one to protect him and didn’t bother telling Dean about the abuse, knowing he couldn’t do anything about it. One time it got physical and Sam couldn’t hide the black eye from him. Dean made him tell him who did it and Dean returned the hurt twofold. 

Sam dreamed of another life where he was just a normal kid and did normal things like other kids his age. He wished his life was different.

**spn**

“Young man,” a male voice spoke kindly to Sam. “Young man, wake up.”

Sam jumped and sat up quickly as he stared at the priest that woke him.

“Are you okay son?” the priest asked him, giving him a warm smile.

“Yes, I’m fine. I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” Sam replied grabbing his coat and getting up. 

“That’s fine, is there someone I can call for you?”

“No, no, I’ll walk back to the motel. Thanks.” Sam scooted past the priest and hurried up the aisle toward the front doors. He stepped outside seeing it was dark and knew he was in for it from Dean when he got back. Sam was surprised Dean hadn’t come looking for him but figured he was still pissed at him. He was still going to try again to get him to talk to their Dad and hoped he had better luck this time.

It was hard to tell where he was in the dark and wasn’t sure how long he had walked before finding the church. The rain had finally let up for now, but Sam still felt cold and hunched into his jacket as he sped his pace, hoping he was going the right way. He didn’t have his beeper since it was charging back in the motel room, so he didn’t know if Dean had tried to send him a message. Sam trudged down the sidewalk with his head down, only glancing up once and a while to see if anything looked familiar. He continued to head down the street hoping he would find the motel.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank for taking this short journey with me and I hope you like it. Sam finds his normal life is anything but that and doesn’t know how it happened or what to do. I do like comments. NC**

* * *

It took Sam longer than he expected to find the motel again and sighed with relief when he saw the sign shining brightly in the darkness of the night. He walked through the parking lot and around the back to the room they were staying in. The place didn’t look any better in the dark, in fact it looked worse. Dark shadows were in every corner and it felt like something was watching him as he hurried to his room.

Sam stopped at their door and knocked, waiting for Dean to let him in. After a couple of minutes, he knocked again, louder this time, thinking Dean had probably gone to sleep. The door was suddenly jerked open by a man Sam did not know, making him stumble backwards in surprise and shock. Sam looked him over and knew he had never seen the man before.

“Who the hell are you, asshole?” the stranger yelled, staring angerly at Sam. “Do you know what time it is?”

Sam looked at the room number again to be sure he had the right room before looking back at the angry man. 

“I-I-I…Don’t understand…My brother…” Sam stammered trying to make sense of this. He had left Dean in this room and knew he would not leave without finding him, besides, Dean didn’t have a car yet. He knew Dad was going to give him the Impala soon when he got another vehicle. So, Dean would be on foot and he didn’t like walking anywhere if he could help it and he would have to lug their duffels around too.

“You got the wrong room, now bug off!” The stranger slammed the door in Sam’s face before he could ask or say anything else. 

Sam wiped his eyes and looked around, knowing he had the right motel and the right room, but where was Dean? He walked back into the parking lot and to the front of the motel. He looked up and down the street trying to decide what to do when a horn beeped at him. Sam looked up as an old beat up tan, truck pulled up beside him.

“Where the hell have you been shithead?” Dean asked him in a menacing, deep, voice.

“Dean?” Sam asked with shock. “Where did you get the truck and why did you leave the motel? I thought we were staying there until Dad got back?”

“What are you talking about? Get back from where and what screwed up world are you living in anyway? We don’t stay at motels, it’s too expensive. You know Dad will be mad at you for being late for dinner. Get in the truck, now!”

Sam walked around the truck and tried to open the door. He had to jerk hard on it and it squeaked open so he could climb inside. The floorboard was littered with trash and there was a tear in the upholstery of the seat. Sam couldn’t believe Dean would be caught dead driving something like this. He stayed quiet when he sensed Dean’s mood, not wanting to make it worse. Something was wrong about this entire picture but Sam wasn’t sure what it was. 

The truck drove across town and on to a gravel road before pulling up a driveway to a small clapboard house. Sam couldn’t see much in the dark, except what the headlights revealed. The place needed a paint job, shutters were missing off one window, and what yard there was needed mowing. Two trashcans sat to the side of the house that was overflowing with trash bags. 

“Well, are you coming dumbass?” Dean growled as he got out and walked toward the small porch.

Sam got out slowly and followed Dean to the door and waited as he unlocked it to go inside. He wrinkled his nose when the smell of beer, old cooking odors, and stale air hit him in the face. He looked around the room seeing it was a living room with ratty, used furniture crammed in it. Dean had disappeared down a short hall and into a room that he figured was a bedroom.

A coughing from the couch drew his attention to it and stared openly when his father stood up and glared at him. He had on some type of uniform that was wrinkled and needed washing. His hair was longer and poorly cut and he had a beard. He had a beer in one hand and took a long swallow of it. John was working on a beer belly that hung over his belt and being out of shape didn’t even describe how he looked. Sam’s mouth hung open as he stared at him in disbelief. This was his father, but it wasn’t.

“You know what time it is boy?” he demanded in a gruff, loud voice. “You should have been home hours ago.” He stepped closer and cuffed his ear making it sting. “I oughtta tan yer hide for disobeying me.”

Sam clamped his mouth shut and tried to swallow to wet his dry throat. He tried to speak but only got out a gurgling sound that couldn’t be understood.

“What’s the matter with ya? Go on get; dinner’s by the microwave, but you’ll have to heat it again.” He sat back down on the couch and focused his attention on the old model television that had a grainy screen to watch some random program.

Sam looked to the side and saw the small kitchen and walked that way in a trance, since he couldn’t comprehend what was happening to him. Maybe he was dreaming all this? He saw a small table and three chairs sitting around it and a microwave and coffee pot sitting on the counter by the sink that was full of dirty dishes. Sam saw something sitting by the microwave and walked closer to see it was a tv dinner and a very cheap one. He picked it up and peeled back the top to see blobs of something that didn’t look anything like real food. He grimaced in disgust and sat it back down to look around for anything else that might be eatable. 

Deciding maybe something to drink would be enough, Sam opened the fridge to find mostly beer, a couple of sodas, condiments, something that seemed to be growing in a bowl, a container of take Chinese food, stick of butter, and not much else. There was no milk, juice, cheese, fruit, or anything he would have thought should be in there. He closed the door and finally spotted a pack of crackers on the counter and decided it was better than nothing. He found a glass and filled it with water before going to the table and sitting down. The meager meal wasn’t much but would have to do for now.

Sam’s mind was racing as he tried to figure out what was going on with him. Did he get hurt and was in a coma in some hospital? Was he asleep dreaming all this? Did a monster find him and cause all this? There were so many unanswered questions rolling around it his head, it made it start hurting. He rubbed his tired eyes after he ate the crackers and washed them down with water. Not knowing what else to do, Sam wandered down the hall and saw the bathroom at the end and on either side were bedrooms.

The bathroom was nasty as he looked around at the rusty tub, stained commode, and leaky sink. He stepped to the sink and looked at the toothbrushes, trying to decide which one was his. Taking a chance, it was the one in a plastic glass, he turned on the water and let it run for a few seconds before filling the glass. The toothpaste tube was almost empty, but he managed to get enough out to brush his teeth. Once that was done, he relieved himself and washed his face and hands.

With nothing else to do, Sam stepped into the bedroom he shared with his brother. He saw bunkbeds against one wall and Dean was splayed out on the bottom one looking at a girlie magazine. There was a desk and chair sitting under the window that had schoolbooks on it, two dressers, and a scattering of clothes thrown around the room. He saw a laundry basket in a corner that looked like it had clothes, his size in it.

Sam paused long enough to take a better look at Dean. He had a sour look on his face that was pudgy, and his body was flabby and, on its way, to being fat. His hair was longer and unkept and he needed to shave. He didn’t have the tone, lean muscles of a trained hunter like he did when Sam left the motel room. He had on ragged sweats and one sock had a hole in it that his large toe was sticking out of. There were overalls tossed beside the bed like someone would wear working as a mechanic or in a factory. What was happening to him, Sam wondered? Had he somehow been transported to another reality? Did a witch cast a spell on him? 

“What are you looking at runt?” Dean growled at him as he looked over the magazine.

“Dean does Dad ever hunt?” Sam asked cautiously.

“Yeah, once, he went deer hunting with a couple of guys, but all they did was get drunk and nearly shot each other,” Dean scoffed and laughed. 

Taking another chance, Sam asked another question.

“What happened to Mom?”

Before Sam could react, Dean was off the bunk and slammed him into the wall by the bed hard enough to make him see stars for a moment.

“Don’t you ever mention her again shithead!” Dean screamed at him as he got in his face. “You’re the reason she’s dead. If you hadn’t been born, she would still be alive!” He shook Sam hard before letting him go and threw himself back on his bed to continue looking at the magazine.

Sam staggered when Dean let him go and rubbed the back of his head, unsure of what to do. He didn’t understand what Dean meant by what he said and knew better than to ask for more information. Figuring the top bunk was his, Sam used the ladder at the end of the bed to climb up to the top bed. He crawled onto the mattress and laid down on top of the covers so he could calm down and think. Before he knew it, he had drifted off to sleep still in his regular clothes.

**spn**

Strange noises woke Sam from his sleep, and he lay there trying to figure out what it was. He listened closer and realized the sounds were coming from the bed below him. Dean was jacking off and not being quiet about it. He grimaced in disgust and wrapped his skinny pillow around his head to try and not hear.

“Oh yeah, come on, come on,” Dean moaned loudly. “That’s it, yes!” he sighed as he came on the sheet. 

Sam could hear his panting and grunting no matter what he did, but he didn’t want to get up and leave. He was afraid of what Dean might do, as a seed of doubt filtered into his mind.

“Hey shithead,” Dean grunted as he slammed a foot into the bottom of Sam’s bed making him jump. “Did you do your chores before coming to bed. You know Dad will take a belt to your sorry ass if you didn’t.”

“What chores?” Sam asked before he could stop himself. He lay there stiff and scared waiting to see what Dean would do.

“Honestly, what is wrong with you? Did you have a brain fart or something?” Dean asked, getting up and glaring at him. “You need to take the trash out and wash the dishes. Man, the school said you were smart, but you sure seem dumb to me. I’m taking a shower.” He ambled out of the bedroom and into the bathroom closing the door behind him.

Sam lay there for a moment before getting up and climbing down the ladder. He snuck into the kitchen, looking toward the living room to see his Dad passed out on the couch. Deciding to do the dishes first, he looked under the sink for dish washing liquid and hopefully maybe some rubber gloves. He found one of the two.

After stacking the dishes beside the sink, Sam ran some water and added the liquid. He sat part of the dishes into the sink and washed them, trying to be sure they were clean. He repeated the step until all the dishes were washed and stacked in the strainer by the sink. With that done, he looked to the trashcan and opened it, gagging at the smell that wafted from it. He pulled the bag from the can and added the tv dinner he didn’t eat before closing it and going out a side door in the room. He sat the bag by the larger trashcan since it was full.

With that done, Sam went back inside and washed his hands before going back to the bedroom. He looked in one dresser for his clothes but found Dean’s. He moved to the smaller of the two and opened a drawer and found some sweats to change into deciding the T-shirt he had on would be okay to sleep in. After he changed into sweats, Sam climbed the ladder and got back in bed just as Dean sauntered back into the room naked. Sam quickly adverted his eyes, listening to Dean open drawers and finally collapse on the lower bunk with a loud sight. It took him a while to get back to sleep, hoping when morning came things would be back the way they were. This was not what he thought normal would be and he was not liking it. 


	3. Chapter 3

Sam was woken abruptly when Dean slapped his boot into the side of the upper bed near Sam’s head. He sat up and started bleary eyed at him, seeing nothing had changed while he slept.

“You better get up and get dressed or you’ll miss the bus,” he told him. “And you know Dad’s not going to drive you to school and neither am I.”

“I’m up,” Sam mumbled as he wiped sleep from his eyes before climbing out of bed. He went to the dresser for clean clothes to wear. After looking through every drawer, Sam finally found jeans and a shirt to wear. He wandered into the kitchen and saw John sitting at the table drinking coffee with Dean.

“Is there anything for breakfast?” Sam asked in a quiet voice.

“What do you care?” Dean asked. “You get free breakfast and lunch at school,” he sneered. 

“Oh,” Sam whispered not sure what to do. “We’re out of milk.”

“That’s because you drank it all dipshit,” Dean sneered.

“Can we get more?” Sam asked cautiously.

“You know we don’t get food ‘til Fridays when I get paid,” John told Sam. “Somethin’ wrong with your memory?”

“No, no,” Sam stuttered backing away out of arm’s reach.

“Take my lunch and tool belt to the car boy.”

Sam looked around and saw a beat up lunchbox sitting on the counter and picked it up. He saw the belt hanging by the side door and slipped it off the hook. He opened the side door and stepped out into the morning sunlight. Sam almost fell when he stared in shock and disbelief at the Impala that sat by the house. Last night he couldn’t see the car, but in daylight he could see every scratch, dent, ding, on her dull, lifeless body, and even a cracked side window. The Impala was coated in dirt and grim and had patches of rust over her body. Her tires were worn and almost thread bare in places. “Oh Baby, what did they do to you?” Sam whispered as he walked on unsteady legs to the car and laid a loving hand on her hood blinking back the tears of sorrow. 

He opened the backdoor to look inside. It was missing the toy green army soldier he had crammed into the ashtray when he was three and Dean and his initials were missing from the back shelf. The floorboard was littered with trash and there was a tear in the backseat upholstery. The Impala had been his home all his life and his heart broke to see her this way. Evidently, this John didn’t have any respect for his vehicle. He left the things in the backseat and headed back inside, wiping his face of his tears.

John ignored Sam when he returned, as he looked at his oldest son with cold eyes.

“You be sure to take the garbage to the dump today. I’m tired of seeing it piled up out there.”

“Yes sir,” Dean grunted not hiding his disgust. 

“I’m working some extra hours tonight, so get yer on dinner,” John told them as he got up and grabbed his jacket, pausing before opening the door. “Boy, you need to do laundry when you get home from school. There’s some change in the coffee tin in the cabinet. Make sure you get it all washed.” John headed out the door and cranked the Impala to head to work. 

“I’m off too. Better get to the bus stop unless you’re walking to school,” Dean told Sam as he got up to. Make sure you watch my sheets shithead, I had a busy week,” he laughed rubbing his crotch, so Sam knew what he meant.

Sam stood alone in the kitchen after they left and didn’t know what else to do but get his pack and go to school. He knew the bus stop must be at the end of the drive or somewhere close. He found a jacket and walked out of the house and down the driveway.

**spn**

The ride on the school bus took forty minutes since it had to drive around to pick up the students that lived on the outskirts of town. Sam felt like everyone was looking at him as he had found a seat and could hear whispers behind him. He heard someone say something about his Dad being the town drunk and his brother always stayed in trouble with the cops. He went to the middle of the bus and found a seat alone. He shrunk in on himself and tried to ignore the other students.

When they pulled into the parking lot for the school and the bus stopped to unload the students, Sam waited for all the others to get off. He noticed how neatly dressed most of them were in designer clothes and looked down at his patched, hand me down clothes. Now he knew why they all treated him differently. He was the poor kid who got free meals and wore tattered clothes. The other students thought they were better than him because they had more material things than him. He never judged others by what they had and didn’t let this bother him now. He was just as good as they were, no matter what he wore.

Sam walked by himself into the school and went down the hall to what he hoped was his locker. He sighed with relief when he tried the combination and it opened. That meant that his classes should be the same too and swapped out books to head to homeroom and then to his first class. Before he got to homeroom, Sam remembered that he got a free breakfast and was hungry. He headed toward the cafeteria and joined the other students to get a meal. Sam felt embarrassed about this, but hunger won out. After finishing the meal, Sam hurried to homeroom to start his day.

**spn**

Sam’s last period was study hall, and he got a pass to go to the library. He wanted to see what he could find out about his Mom’s death and do some research on hunts that his Dad had done. Sam went to the information desk to see how to access local papers from the year he was born. He was led to a back room that had shelves of boxes with newspapers stored in them. He went down the rows until he found 1983 and pulled the box down to take to a table. He was going to start with his date of birth and check a week’s worth of papers going forward and if that didn’t pan out, he would look on Mary’s date of death, November 2, 1983 and work backwards. Hopefully, he could find something before he had to leave school.

When none of the May papers had anything, Sam started looking for papers that would cover his Mom’s date of death, November 2, 1983. He started skimming the first one but didn’t find anything. On the third paper, a few pages in, he found an article of a house fire and started reading it. It stated an electric fire claimed the life of local resident, Mary Winchester, when she saved her son from a fire in his nursey. She succumbed to smoke inhalation and died at the hospital. It stated that it was believed the fire originated from a faulty baby monitor. Sam sat back seeing now why Dean blamed him for their Mom’s death. She saved him from the fire and died doing it. Now he knew why Dean hated him so.

It seemed the fire had destroyed most of the house and Sam figured that must have been hard on them financially and he thought they both blamed him for all the bad that had happened. He was a constant reminder of what they had lost. His Dad had turned to drinking to dull the pain and Dean began a degenerate and bully.

Sam put the papers back in the box and the box on the shelf. He wandered toward the door as his mind whirled in different directions. The library had a couple of computers and he sat down at one to figure out how to use it. He found a browser and tried to find anything on a hunt that might have made the news. It took him twenty minutes to find something, but it wasn’t good news. Everyone that Sam knew had survived, their Dad had saved them, were listed as dead. John wasn’t a hunter so anyone he had saved in his other life were dead now. 

There was one other thing Sam wanted to try and left the library to find the pay phone. He fed money into it and punched in a number he had memorized by heart. He listened to it ring twice before a buzzing and ringing sounded and then a message that the number was disconnected. Sam hung up the phone feeling dejected and discouraged. He had tried to call Singer Salvage Yard to talk to Bobby, hoping he could help him. Sam had never felt so alone as he did right now. He headed to his locker to get his books since school would be out in a few minutes. He headed to where the buses were parked and searched for the one that would take him back to the bus stop and then he would walk to the house.

Being early to the bus allowed Sam to get a seat at the front of the bus away from the other students. No one offered to sit with him and that was okay with him. He was one of the last kids to be dropped off and trudged up the hill to the driveway of the house. Sam let himself into the hot house and took his bookbag to the bedroom. He looked around at the dirty clothes tossed randomly around by Dean and huffed angerly as he bent to pick them up and put as many as he could in his clothes basket until it was full. He had seen a laundry mat while riding the bus back home. It was less than two miles from the house in a small strip mall. 

Sam stripped both bunkbeds and used a pillowcase to stuff them in. He went to his father’s bedroom and stood at the doorway, afraid to go in. Drawing in a deep breath, Sam pushed the door open and turned on the light. He saw an unmade bed, dresser, and two piles of dirty clothes at the foot of the bed. The room smelled of beer and body odor that made him hold his breath as he quickly gathered the clothes and took them out in the hall. 

After looking through the cabinets, Sam finally found the coffee can that had quarters in it for the laundry. He found laundry detergent under the sink to take with him. He filled his pockets with coins and went looking for something to carry the clothes in to get them to the laundry mat. Sam found an old rusty red wagon sitting at the side of the house and loaded the clothes onto it. He started walking toward the road, pulling the wagon behind him, being careful to not turn it over as the wheels squeaked loudly. It was back breaking, and he was exhausted by the time he got to the paved road where it was easier to pull the wagon.

He was lucky the laundry mat was almost empty and divided the clothes between three washers, inserted the quarters and started them washing. Sam took a seat on a hard, plastic chair and waited for the clothes to wash so he could transfer them to dryers. He kept an eye on an older man that kept looking at him. Sam got a funny feeling about him and made sure to stay away from him. It took nearly two hours before they were dry and ready to fold. He stacked everything neatly in the wagon and began his journey home. 

The sound of a car engine drew close to Sam as he walked down the side of the road. He didn’t look up until it pulled abreast of him and rolled slowly along as he walked.

“Hey kid, need a ride?” the man from the laundry mat asked him.

“No thank you, I’m fine,” Sam replied trying to ignore him.

“Awe come on kid, it’s gotta be hot out there.”

Sam didn’t respond to him as he clutched the knife in his jacket pocket. He was lucky he had it on him when he left the motel. He hoped the man would leave him alone and he wouldn’t have to fight him.

A horn blew at him and Sam turned to see Dean pull up in his truck and stop. The man looked behind him and took off before Dean could get out. He waited as Sam put the clothes and wagon in the back of the truck and climb into the cab. Dean didn’t say anything to him as he drove to the house and didn’t offer to help Sam get them out and carry them inside. Sam divided the clothes and left Dean’s and his father’s clothes on their beds. He put his clothes away in the dresser and made up his bed before stopping for a moment to rest. 

Not thinking anything about it, Sam pulled the last soda from the fridge and opened it, taking several sips before suddenly being slapped hard across the face, knocking him back against the counter. He still had a grip on the soda, but it was ripped from his hand by Dean.

“What the hell are you doing?” Dean yelled at him. “That was my soda, and you know better than to take my things.” He took the soda and stalked toward the bedroom cussing under his breath at Sam.

Sam leveraged himself back up with the help of the counter and rubbed his cheek as tears filled his eyes. He couldn’t believe Dean had hit him. Was this how his life would have been if John had not found out about what killed Mary and what was out there in the dark? Would this be how John and Dean would turn out, not being hunters? Sam pushed himself from the counter and went outside to be alone with his thoughts. He needed to find a way back to his reality and his family.

* * *

**A/N: Sam is finding normal life in this world not to his liking. He has to find a way home. One more chapter to go and this short will be over. I hope you enjoyed the ride. Comments would make my day. NC**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: We are at the end of the journey for this short one and I hope you enjoyed the ride. Sam works out a plan to get back home and to his family. I do like comments. NC**

* * *

Sam sat under a tree as he sorted through everything that was going on in his life right now. He thought hard and went over what had happened. He asked Dean to talk to Dad about staying here so he could finish school. They fought and Sam left Dean at the motel. He walked aimlessly and it started raining again. He had taken refuge in a church, had wished for his life to be normal and then ended up going to sleep. That is when things went whacky and his life changed. Dean and Dad were not hunters, all the people they had saved were dead and they worked for a living. It was like they were opposites of who they really were, who Sam knew.

It was like what he wished for came true, but it was nothing like what he believed it would be. Maybe if he went back to the church, he could reverse this disaster and get back the life he had. Had there been some being or entity that heard his wish and made it happen?

When the weekend got here, Sam was determined to find that church again and get his old life back. He couldn’t stay here with the way things were, there was no way. He looked up when he heard Dean yelling for him. He didn’t know how long he had been outside since he didn’t have a watch.

“Get in here shithead, dinner is ready,” Dean spat at him from the front door.

Sam got up and brushed off the butt of his jeans before shuffling toward the door and into the house. He found Dean tossing two tv dinners onto the table because they were hot and cussed loudly. 

“Set your ass down and eat,” he demanded as he took a chair. 

Sam took a seat and grimaced at the dinner, thinking it should be a crime to consider this food. He peeled back the cover and looked at the steaming blobs of something. He took a fork and picked at his, trying to eat a few bites before giving up since it stuck in his throat.

“You going to eat that?” Dean asked him, eyeing the food.

“Go ahead, I’m going to take a shower,” Sam told him pushing the tray his way. He stood up, paused, and spoke, “Dean, can I ask you something?”

“Why not? Don’t have to answer if I don’t wanna.”

“Do you believe in monsters?”

Dean looks at him and busted out laughing spraying chewed food across the table. It took him a moment to stop his harsh laughing.

“You need to grow up dumb ass. Monsters are only in the movies. Why, you seeing monsters now dipshit?” he snarled at him.

Sam didn’t say anything else as he headed to his bedroom to get sleep clothes before going into the bathroom to shower. He wanted out of this place and couldn’t wait for Saturday to get here. He had one more day of school and hoped Dean and their Dad slept in on Saturday mornings. He wanted to find that church again and try to find his way back to the world he knew.

**spn**

The next morning, Sam was woken the same way, with a boot to the side of his bed. He didn’t say anything to Dean as he got up and went to the bathroom. He went back to the bedroom and got clean clothes to put on and dug around in the closet for a small backpack. Sam looked over his shoulder to be sure Dean or John didn’t see him as he packed a change of clothes in the pack and hid it under his desk for now. Sam grabbed his backpack for school and headed for the kitchen.

“You don’t be late this afternoon,” John told him in a surly voice.

“Late for what?” Sam asked not sure what John meant.

“What’s got into you boy? You getting addled or something?” John growled at him as he smacked him in the back of the head. “We go grocery shopping every Friday. I pick you up from school so we can miss the crowds.”

“Yeah, right,” Sam spoke quickly trying to hide his mistake. “I’ll be on time.”

“I’m out of here,” Dean grunted getting up and stretching before snagging his coat off a hook by the door. “Don’t forget soda and jerky for me ass wipe,” Dean told Sam punching him in the shoulder harder than needed, making Sam stumble sideways.

Sam frowned and gave him a bitch face but didn’t say anything for fear John might do worse. He ran a glass of water and drank it before heading out the door to walk to the bus stop. He heard the sick rumble of the Impala behind him and felt a queasy feeling in his stomach. Baby should never have been neglected like that. He felt the wind blow over him as John drove past him and headed to work.

**spn**

The bus ride to school was much like it was the day before. He could hear giggles and whispering again but ignored them as he stared out the window of the bus. When Sam got to school, he headed to his locker and then the cafeteria for a quick breakfast. He snagged an apple and put it in his backpack for later.

The day seemed to drag by as Sam went from one class to another, had lunch, and was able to get a bottle of water to add to the apple for later. He sat through each class, barely listening, feeling like he was in a fog, only watching the clock, waiting for it to be time for dismissal. The last thirty minutes seemed to take hours to pass as Sam sat with his pack ready to go. He knew where the car pickup was and when the bell finally rang, he jumped up and headed to that side of the school. 

Sam waited at the curb, looking down the line of cars trying to find the Impala. He finally spotted it and made his way closer until John stopped to let him get in. Sam put his pack in the backseat but didn’t say anything to John as he steered the car away from the school and into town. Sam would look at him sideways trying to determine what kind of mood he was in. He tapped his finger on the steering wheel to the music playing on the radio. It was country and nothing that Sam’s true father would ever listen to. Sam looked around when John pulled into a parking lot and parked so they could go into a grocery store.

Sam followed a couple of steps behind him as John went inside and got a cart. He shoved it toward Sam for him to push as he headed for the wine/beer section first. Sam followed behind him and picked up some toothpaste, toilet paper, and dish detergent. He watched John put two 24 count cartons of beer into the cart and frowned at what Sam put in there but didn’t say anything. He headed for the frozen food section and started adding tv dinners for the week to the cart making Sam grimace at the thought of eating one.

Sam got milk and juice, a couple cans of soup, crackers, and a few bananas, thinking he could fix that for his dinner tonight. He got soda for Dean and found some jerky for him too. John added chips, couple packs of deli meat, bread, and mayo. Sam found single pack granola bars at the cash register and added a few of them and decided not to push his luck when John cleared his throat and glared at him. At least he didn’t tell him to put the things back. 

Once they were checked out, and the bags put in the car, John headed for the house and let Sam unload the car except for the beer that he took in himself. Sam found him on the couch watching the television and drinking a beer. Sam put the groceries away and left the can of soup out to heat up for his dinner. He took a banana to his bedroom to add to his pack and transferred the apple and water to it too. He hid it again under his desk and went out to the kitchen to fix his soup.

**spn**

Sam was reading at his desk when Dean came wandering in, humming under his breath. He looked up at him and saw a smirky look on his face and gleam in his eyes. He was carrying a soda and jerky. Sam was not sure where Dean had been since it was late evening. 

“I gotta tell ya shithead, there’s nothing like the real thing,” Dean preened as he dropped onto his bed and sighed heavily. “You can’t beat sliding your dick into a slick, wet, pussy. The tighter the better.” He laughed at his vulgar remark as he popped the soda open and took a long swallow. “But you don’t have to worry about that, ain’t no woman would even bother with your skinny ass.”

Sam hunched his shoulders and tried to ignore Dean’s remarks, thinking tomorrow couldn’t get here soon enough. He found an alarm clock on Dean’s dresser and put it on his bed so he could use it. He didn’t want to oversleep, or his plan might not work. Sam read a little longer before going to the bathroom to brush his teeth and get ready for bed. He found Dean half asleep as he climbed up to his bed and set the alarm clock before settling down to try and sleep. 

**spn**

The next morning Sam woke right before the alarm and quickly turned it off. He lay there a minute listening to Dean snore loudly below him. Being as quiet as he could, Sam crawled out of bed, watching Dean to be sure he didn’t wake as he tiptoed across the room and got his pack. Sam saw Dean’s wallet laying on his dresser and opened it to get a twenty dollar bill out, hoping he wouldn’t miss it until he was long gone. He picked up the clothes he had laid out the night before and snuck out of the room closing the door behind him.

Sam let out the breath he was holding and went into the bathroom to quickly change and relieve himself before making his escape. He listened at the bathroom door before opening it and scurrying to the kitchen. He took a banana and poured juice in a plastic glass, to take with him to eat and drink on the way. Sam gave this house one last look before opening the front door to leave. He moved quickly down the driveway without a backwards glance. He didn’t slow until he was well away from the house and those versions of his family.

When Sam got to the strip mall, he tossed his empty plastic glass in a trashcan and went into a gas station to get directions to the motel that his Dean and him had been staying at. He thought from there he could find the church. Sam thanked the cashier and went out to follow his directions. It took him nearly two hours to walk across town to the motel. Sam found a place to rest and drank some of his water and took a few bites of a granola bar. Once he had rested, he got up and tried to remember the path he had taken that night he had walked out on Dean.

Sam got off track a few times but by early afternoon he had found the church. He stood outside the large building and looked at it not seeing anything out of the ordinary about it. Sam went to the door and tried it to find it open. He stepped inside and went to the bathroom to use it. He stepped back into the foyer and looked toward the doors that led into the sanctuary, a little apprehensive about entering it again.

The atmosphere in the church seemed quiet and somber as Sam listened to the small noises of the building. He moved to the door and pushed it open enough to step inside and looked around the sanctuary to see if anyone else was in there. He moved cautiously down the aisle to the front of the sanctuary. After sitting his pack down, Sam went to the altar and knelt on the cushioned step and clasp his hands together, hoping this was right.

The cross seemed give off a soft, warm glow as Sam gazed intently at it for a few minutes. He bowed his head and prayed that he would return to his real life and to his family. He may not like it, but it was better than what was here for him. 

‘ _Please, I want my old life back. I don’t know who made my wish come true, but it wasn’t anything like I thought it would be. People are dead because my Dad doesn’t hunt, and he is still mourning Mom’s death and trying to make the pain go away by drinking himself to death. And Dean…This is not my brother…Not the brother I want and need. Please let me go back. I need my real brother and Dad. If you can hear me, let me go back…’_ Sam prayed as hard as he could. Tears leaked from his eyes as he squeezed them tightly shut. He didn’t know if this would work or not, but it was the only thing he could think of to do. Sam stayed kneeling until his legs cramped and he had to stand to relieve the pain.

Sam gazed up at the wooden cross again and it seemed like something was drawing him to it. He stepped around the railing and up onto the altar, stopping at the base of the cross. He reached a trembling hand up toward the bottom of it and touched it lightly with him fingers. A shock seemed to race down his arm and he jerked his hand back and rubbed his numbed fingers as he frowned, wondering what could have caused that. It seemed like something was spreading through his body and making every nerve in his body tingle until it finally faded away.

Sam walked backwards from the cross and moved to sit on the front pew so he could stare at it as his mind whirled uncontrollably. He didn’t know how long he sat there until someone spoke to him, startling him.

“Hello son, can I help you with something?” a different priest asked smiling warmly at him.

“No, no, I’m fine,” Sam stammered as he got up. This wasn’t the same priest he had seen before, and he decided he should leave now. “I’ll just be going now.”

“If you would like to talk about anything, I am available. Or can I call someone for you?”

“No, really, I’m okay. Thanks anyway.” Sam picked up his pack and hurried up the aisle toward the doors. He pushed them open and stepped into the foyer, pausing for a second to catch his breath. He pushed opened the outer doors and stepped out of the church. Sam looked around and saw it was starting to get dark and tried to decide what to do. He didn’t know if his prayer had been answered or not. He couldn’t tell if anything had changed and he was back in his reality. Sam never saw the figure that stepped from the shadows of the church and watch him walk away. The being smiled to himself as he snapped his fingers and disappeared.

Not knowing what else to do, Sam started walking back toward the motel to see if he was back to his world or was still stuck in the other. He had already decided that if he wasn’t back in his reality, he was running away. There was no way Sam was staying with this John and Dean, no way. That was the only way to find out. He had walked several blocks and was turning onto a main street when a familiar voice called to him from up ahead.

“Sammy!” Dean yelled urgently as he waved to him and hurried his way.

“Dean?” Sam questioned as he got closer. Sam was wary at first until he got a good look at Dean and sighed when he saw it was his Dean, the lean, strong, hunter that he was.

“Where have you been dude? I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” Dean chastised him. Before he could continue, Sam threw his arms around his brother and hugged him tightly, almost knocking them both down. “Wow, what happened to you, bro?”

“It’s really you,” Sam gasped as he choked back a sob and buried his head into Dean’s chest. 

“Who would I be Sammy? Where were you? You were gone for nearly two days. I looked the town over for you.”

“I’m sorry,” Sam cried not willing to let Dean go.

“Hey, it’s okay Sammy, all that matters is you’re back, and you’re okay.” Dean assured him rubbing his back to try and comfort him. “You’re not hurt or anything, are you?”

“No, no, I’m okay now,” Sam told him as his breath hitched.

“Let’s head back to the motel, it’s getting dark.”

Sam finally let go and wiped his face on his jacket sleeve and hiccupped a breath. He reached into his pocket to see if the twenty dollars was still there and was surprised it was. That told him he hadn’t dreamed of the other place and somehow, he had been there.

“Wanna get pizza?” Sam asked in a raspy voice as he held out the money.

“Where did you get that?” Dean asked suspiciously.

“Long story. Dinner’s on me.”

“Sounds good. Dad called, he’ll be gone probably another week and Sammy, I talked to him about us staying long enough for you to finish school. He argued at first but finally caved and said we could. I’ve been looking for a better place to stay that might give us a month’s lease and think I’ve found a small place closer to your school.”

“Really?” Sam croaked with excitement. 

“Yeah, Sammy. Just ‘cause school wasn’t my thing, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. Dad’s going to wire some money to me for food and payment on a new place.”

“Thanks Dean. You’re a good brother, but you’re still a ** _jerk_** ,” Sam playfully told him bumping his shoulder into his side.

“And you’re still a little **_bitch_** ,” Dean teased in a warm, brotherly manner as he draped an arm over his shoulders. 

Neither knew that these two words would stay with them into adulthood and would have a special meaning only they understood. They may not say ‘ _I love you_ ’, but two simple words meant more than any others.

**The End**


End file.
